Laundry: Hot, Warm or Cold?

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Laundry: Hot, Warm or Cold?

How to choose the right wash cycle and temperature for your family's load.

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Sturdy fabrics such as jeans and heavy cotton shirts, get the normal or regular cycle; combinations of synthetic and natural fibers need the permanent-press cycle; sheer and delicate fabrics do best in the gentle cycle.

The right temperature wash directly affects the performance of your detergent, the wrinkling of fabrics, and the life span of your clothes - so follow the care labels carefully here.

Liquid versus Powder: Which is Right for Your Family?

Hot, Hot, Hot

If you can't read the garment's label, you should know that hot water works well on ground-in and hard-to-remove dirt on sturdy fabrics.

Still, you've probably noticed that few clothing labels recommend regular hot-water washing. Choose it for seriously soiled garments (gardening or children's clothes), and to regularly disinfect dish towels, washcloths, bath towels, bedding and pillowcases.

Warm Water

Warm water minimizes color fading and wrinkling. Choose it for washing synthetic fibers, natural and synthetic blends, and moderately soiled fabrics.

Cold Water

Cold water will protect most dark or bright colored-clothing from running and minimizes shrinkage of washable woolens.

Choose it for lightly soiled clothes and those with blood, wine, or coffee stains (which may set if washed in warm or hot water), regardless of fabric.

If you're going to to do a cold-water wash, check first for stains and spots and pretreat garments before you toss them in with the load.

Detergents don't clean heavily soiled areas as well in cold water - so you'll need more detergent to get these items clean.

If you do lots of cold-water washes, consider using a laundry detergent designed to work in all temperatures.

The Rinse Cycle Temperature

When it comes to the rinse cycle, the choice is simple. And cool.

Cold water saves energy (and money) and is excellent for all types of loads.

Another benefit: A cold-water rinse can reduce the energy used per load by up to one-third and minimize wrinkling in synthetic or permanent-press fabrics.

Make wash day simpler with the 3 Bin Laundry Sorter with Cover - White & Chrome by Richards Homewares so you'll never have to sort colors again!

9 Common Stains and How to Remove Them

10 Steps to Cleaner Clothes

Detergent Dilemma: Liquid or Powder?

Return to Laundry & Stains

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